"The spirit was already aloft, I was pulling on my boots" - W H Murray, Mountaineering in Scotland

Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorich

Tuesday, 4 July 2017

Sunday - 2 July. A struggle

With a recent blood test showing little progress on the haemoglobin front I expected to feel less than my usual self on the fells. But I didn't expect to struggle on an ascent of - wait for it - Walla Crag. Yes, Walla Crag. It was of little comfort to pass a few walkers who were clearly unfit. No comfort at all.

I felt better at the summit - I was stationary there - so we continued along the path and down to Ashness Bridge where a few midges appeared to have followed us south. The re-ascent was easy enough and with the weather improving we headed for Blaeberry Fell.

I thought the final steep-ish slopes would be a trial but they weren't, perhaps because of a ten minute halt to talk with a couple from Kendal descending from the very windy summit.

The shelter provided none, so we set off downwards stopping at the sheepfold to enjoy the much needed warmth of sun. A stream of walkers passed by so intent on looking at the path that they didn't notice us only feet away.

Since last Sunday, we've been on eight familiar summits so perhaps more of that later.

Sir Hugh - I heard that. Just how many more visitors does the Lake District need? How many more can it cope with? Just before leaving home I read an article in 'Cumbria' by Terry Fletcher who hoped World Heritage Status would not be awarded. I agreed with every word.

Hi Gibson, sorry to hear of your ongoing struggles. Sometimes the cumulative effects of one thing following another can be as psychologically wearing as the physical effects. I suspect (and if I'm right I empathise) that you're not the most patient patient. Jo says that any pain I might be feeling is insignificant when compared with the pain in the anatomy I become when I'm confined to the house. Harsh, but probably not unfair!

Regarding the lakes, you might be interested in this piece by George Monbiot:

http://www.monbiot.com/2017/07/13/the-lie-of-the-land/

Unfortunately, much of what he says could equally be applied to large tracts of mid Wales.

Hello Alan. This all goes back to April when I spent six days in Ninewells Hospital - blood transfusion and so on. Haemoglobin levels were up when I left hospital and nothing serious was found to have caused the internal bleeding. Anyway, a follow up showed a small fall hence the struggle. You kindly sent best wishes ( a comment on Sir Hugh's blog) but I forgive you for forgetting.

With the return of an excruciatingly painful shoulder there may be some gear for sale soon I fear,

I do hope that you get the Hb thing sorted soon. Not having enough Hb is not good, it's like having a full tank of fuel but a duff spark-plug - the energy is there but it's out of reach. Top tip - if they are topping-up your Hb with bags of the red stuff, don't let them overdo it lest you get acquired iron-overload (elevated ferritin), which wouldn't be good either. One bag too much and the ferritin goes through the roof, and it's a long process to get it back under control.